03 / Services

Crisis communications —
when the first hour
is decisive.

Reputational damage doesn't build over weeks. It builds in hours — sometimes minutes. Say the wrong thing in those first hours and you'll be living with it for years. Stay silent and you hand the narrative to someone else.

24 / 7 available
In a crisis: +49 172 8124378
Experience

Present over a hundred times.
Not as a bystander.

Companies fighting for their survival. State institutions under international pressure. Clients facing prosecutors and live cameras. Crisis communications is my core competence.

Not because I write handbooks about it. But because I have been in crises — as the one who answers the phone, develops the strategy and lives with the outcome the following morning.

Crisis communications is not a question of creativity. It is a question of experience, speed and the ability to make clear decisions under pressure.

What makes the difference

Good crisis communications —
and its opposite.

— Poor approach

Silence, delay, defensive response.

The organisation waits too long because it wants complete information first. Journalists, social media and competitors fill the vacuum with speculation. By the time the organisation responds, the narrative is already written — and the response reads as defensive, evasive and unconvincing.

+ Good approach

Fast, nuanced, proactive.

Responds quickly, even without all the facts. Sets its own information anchors early. Addresses different audiences differently — media, employees, customers, regulators and investors each receive tailored messaging, but the same consistent facts. Stays in initiative mode rather than reacting.

Services

Six tools
for the exceptional situation.

01
Immediate response 24/7
Reachable within hours in a crisis. No ticketing system. No junior intermediary. Rapid situation assessment and a solid initial response in a matter of hours.
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02
Crisis prevention & planning
The best crisis communications is the kind you never need. Identifying vulnerable topics, developing messaging frameworks, defining protocols, media training, realistic crisis simulations.
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03
Litigation PR
Communications support for legal proceedings — closely coordinated with the legal team. Clients accompanied to Germany's highest courts. What can be said? What should be said? What must never be said?
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04
Interim spokesperson
When your own spokesperson is unavailable, outside perspective is needed or discreet handling is strategically preferable. Media enquiries, statements, external representation.
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05
Reputation management
The crisis doesn't end with the last critical article. A structured path back: honest assessment, prioritised audiences, a measurable action plan.
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06
International crisis mandates
Foreign embassies, insolvency proceedings, politically exposed persons — navigating different editorial cultures, transparency norms and geopolitical sensitivities. English as working language.
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The first hours

When you call.
What happens first.

+ 0 h

Situation assessment

What happened? What is publicly known? What could still emerge? Which stakeholders are affected? Which media are already active?

+ 2 h

Initial response

Solid messaging framework, initial statements for the key audiences. And above all: on time.

+ 6 h

Stakeholder dispatch

Differentiated outreach: media, employees, customers, regulators, investors — tailored messages, identical underlying facts.

+ 24 h

Taking the initiative

Shifting from reactive to proactive. Setting your own information anchors, shaping the narrative actively — before others do it for you.

FAQ

Six
questions.

When should I bring in a crisis consultant? +
As early as possible — ideally before the first editorial enquiry arrives. Every hour you act earlier gives you more room to manoeuvre and costs less reputational capital. If you're wondering whether you have a crisis — you do.
Difference: crisis communications vs reputation management? +
Crisis comms is the acute response — reactive, fast, focused on the specific trigger. Reputation management is long-term, strategic, continuous. Good reputation management makes crises less likely in the first place.
What is litigation PR and when is it relevant? +
Communications support for legal proceedings with public attention — criminal cases, major civil litigation, insolvency, high-profile disputes. Goal: protect the client's public standing without compromising the legal strategy.
How do you respond to a social media storm? +
The first 2–4 hours are decisive. Respond early, clarify facts, avoid defensive or aggressive counter-attacks. A social media storm typically reflects an underlying communication or substantive problem — which needs to be addressed.
What does crisis communications cost? +
In acute situations: daily rate or a one-off crisis retainer. For prevention: project-based. In a crisis, time is worth more than negotiating terms — a pragmatic basis is agreed quickly, details confirmed afterwards.
Do you handle international and multilingual crises? +
Yes. Crisis management for embassies, international companies and institutions. English as working language. The specific challenges — different editorial logics, transparency cultures, geopolitical sensitivities — I know from direct experience.
Now

In a crisis,
every hour counts.

No form. No waiting room. No callback in 48 hours. Call directly.

+49 172 8124378 → markus.kurz@mkpr.info
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